Grapevine named &#39;FLEURTAI&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of grapevine plant, named ‘FLEURTAI’, primarily adapted to the growing conditions of the temperate regions and characterized by its strong vigor; erect growth habit; small to medium circular shaped leaves with medium texture; medium sized berry clusters with golden-green berries that have an amber nuance on the sunny side of the berry, soft flesh, neutral taste, and no flesh coloration primarily used for wine; early harvesting time; and resistance to winter temperatures (to −23° C.), resistance to downy mildew, and tolerance to powdery mildew.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Vitis×vinifera (hybrid)

VARIETY NAME

‘FLEURTAI’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct summer/fall bearing grapevine variety, botanically known as Vitis vinifera, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘FLEURTAI’.

The new grapevine ‘FLEURTAI’ is a product of a controlled breeding program conducted by the inventors in Udine, Italy. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new grapevine variety particularly characterized by resistance to cold (<−20° C.), resistance to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and tolerance to powdery mildew (Uncinula necator).

The new grapevine ‘FLEURTAI’ originated from a cross made by the inventors in Udine, Italy. The female or seed parent is the grapevine variety, Vitis vinifera cv. ‘Tocai Friulano’ (unpatented), and the male or pollen parent is the grapevine variety, Vitis cv. ‘20/3’ (Bianca×SK77-4/5) (unpatented).

The new grapevine ‘FLEURTAI’ was discovered and selected by the inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in 2002 in Udine, Italy. Asexual reproduction of the new grapevine variety by grafting was first performed in February 2004 in Rauscedo, Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Italy, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘FLEURTAI’ is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the temperate regions with average yearly temperature about 13° C., minimum winter temperature about −20° C., annual rainfall around 700-1500 mm of rain (e.g. North-Eastern Italy, Friuli). This region provides the necessary year-round temperatures required for it to produce and maintain a strong vigorous plant with consistent fruit production from April through November on primocanes and in the ensuing year from April through November on the floricanes.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘FLEURTAI’, which in combination distinguish this grapevine plant as a new and distinct variety.

1. Strong vigor;

2. Erect growth habit;

3. Small to medium circular shaped leaves with medium to dark green upper surfaces and light green lower surfaces and medium texture;

4. Medium size, loose to medium dense, conical berry clusters with two middle size wings; golden-green color berries with amber nuances on the sunny side of the berry, soft flesh, neutral taste, no flesh coloration; primarily for wine; maturing in late August (Middle Friuli, North-Eastern Italy);

5. Primocanes and floricanes with oblate cross section, brownish color, no lenticels, and short-middle internodes (diameter: 8 mm);

6. Late August harvesting time (Middle Friuli, North-Eastern Italy); and

7. Resistance to winter temperature (−23° C.), resistance to downy mildew, and tolerance to powdery mildew.

Plants of the new grapevine ‘FLEURTAI’ differ from plants of the parents, Vitis vinifera ‘Tocai Friulano’ (unpatented) and Vitis cross ‘20/3’ (unpatented), in the following characteristics described in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Comparison with Parent Varieties Female Parent Male Parent Charac- New Cultivar ‘Tocai Friulano’ ‘20/3’ teristic ‘FLEURTAI’ (unpatented) (unpatented) vigor strong strong medium growth erect semi-erect semi-erect habit leaf small to medium medium size, Medium size, size, medium to light green color light green color dark green color (upper surface), (upper surface), (upper surface), green color (low- green color (lower light green color er surface), very surface), no hairs (lower surface), few hairs in both in both surfaces, no hairs in both surfaces, circular wedge-shaped- surfaces, circular shape, medium kidney-shaped, shape, medium texture medium texture texture cluster very low-low low weight, con- low weight, coni- weight, conical ical, with 1-2 cal, with 1-2 wings, with two middle wings, dense, ber- medium dense, size wings, loose ry skin with green- berry skin with or medium dense, yellow color, soft green-yellow color, berry skin with flesh, neutral taste, slightly firm flesh, golden-green color no flesh coloration, neutral taste, no with amber nuances use: wine, maturity: flesh coloration, in the sunny side of medium (early Sep- use: wine, maturity: berry, soft flesh, tember at Udine, early (late August, neutral taste, no North-Eastern Middle Friuli, flesh coloration, Italy) North-Eastern use: wine, maturity: Italy) early (late August, Middle Friuli, North-Eastern Italy) primo- oblate cross section, circular cross sec- oblate cross section, cane and brownish color, tion, brownish col- brownish color, floricane lenticels: absent, or, lenticels: absent, lenticels: absent, short-medium short-medium inter- medium internodes, internodes, diam- nodes, diameter diameter small eter: small small (about (about 8 mm) (about 8 mm) 8 mm) harvest- early (last decade Early-medium (ear- Early (end August, ing time August, Middle ly September, Mid- Middle Friuli, Friuli, North- dle Friuli, North- North-Eastern Eastern Italy) Eastern Italy) Italy) resis- resistant to winter Average resistance resistant to winter tances temperature to winter tempera- temperature not (−23° C.), ture (−15° C.), sus- checked, resistant resistant to downy ceptible to downy to downy mildew, mildew, tolerant to mildew, susceptible resistant to pow- powdery mildew to powdery mildew dery mildew

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the most similar to the new grapevine ‘FLEURTAI’ is the female parent ‘Tocai Friulano’, to which a comparison has been provided above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new grapevine ‘FLEURTAI’ showing the colors as true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the color of ‘FLEURTAI’.

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B show a typical fruit cluster of ‘FLEURTAI’ taken on Aug. 25, 2012, in Udine, Italy.

FIG. 2 shows a typical mature leaf (upper surface, left and lower surface, right) of ‘FLEURTAI’ taken on Jun. 15, 2012, in Udine, Italy.

FIG. 3 shows a typical mature vine of ‘FLEURTAI’ taken on Aug. 3, 2012.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of typical mature fruit of ‘FLEURTAI’ taken on Aug. 25, 2012, in Udine, Italy

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of ‘FLEURTAI’ unless otherwise noted, is based on observations taken during the 2011, 2012, and 2013 growing seasons(s) in Udine, Italy and Fossalon di Grado (GO), Italy, from plants dug from a nursery located in Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo, Rauscedo (PN), Italy during the beginning of December 2007 and planted approximately 16 to 20 weeks later in Udine, Italy and Fossalon di Grado (GO), Italy. The phenotypical descriptions and color designations stated for the new variety may vary, depending upon variations in environmental factors, including weather (temperature, humidity and light intensity), day length, soil type, location and cultural conditions. ‘FLEURTAI’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions.

‘TOCAI FRIULANO’ Characteristic ‘FLEURTAI’ (unpatented) GENERAL Resistance to Resistant to downy Susceptible to downy pest/disease mildew, tolerant to mildew and to pow- powdery mildew dery mildew Resistance to Resistant to winter Resistant to winter natural elements cold down to −23° C. cold down to −15° C. VINE Vigor strong strong Trunk diameter 6 cm (6 yrs.-old plant)  6.5 Bark color Dark brown Dark brown underbark color Light brown Light brown texture n.a. n.a. Canes length Internode length Internode length cm 10.5 about cm 10 width 8 mm 8 mm Shoots shape Erected, cross section: Semi-erected, cross oblate, surface: with section: circular, sur- stripes, nodes and in- face: smooth, nodes ternodes without hairs and internodes without hairs color internodes with red Internodes with green and green pigmenta- color on ventral and tion on both sides, dorsal side, nodes with nodes with red and green ventral and green dorsal side and dorsal side green ventral side Tendrils form Bifid or trifid bifid color Green Green texture normal normal number 2 or <2 consecutive 2 or <2 consecutive Buds size average average shape round round color Light brown Light brown number 2/node 2/node time of budbreak early early-medium LEAVES Size small-medium medium Number of leaflets  5  5 Glossiness Medium-high medium Cross section shape V-shaped V-shaped Color (immature) Upper surface Light green Light green Under surface green green Color (mature) Upper surface Medium green Medium green Under surface Darker green Darker green Petiole Length (cm)  6.2  6.0 Color (upper surface) green green Color (under surface) Sometimes reddish green Stipule orientation n.a. n.a. FLOWERS Flowering period End of May End of May (time of beginning of flowering) Sex hermaphrodite hermaphrodite Size Average average Diameter (cm) 0.3 (stamens) 0.3 (stamens) Fragrance average average Flower number (at n.a. n.a. 3^(rd) node from tip of lateral mean and range) Petals Length (cm) n.a. n.a. Width (cm) n.a. n.a. Overall shape calyptra calyptra Color (immature) green green Upper surface Under surface Color (mature) green green Upper surface Under surface Sepals Length (cm) n.a. n.a. Width (cm) n.a. n.a. Overall shape n.a. n.a. Color (immature) n.a. n.a. Upper surface Under surface Color (mature) n.a. n.a. Upper surface Under surface Pedicel Length (mm) 45 (cluster)  70 Color green green FRUIT Primocane time of August 25th September 7th fruiting (1^(st) pick) Clusters cluster weight g 170 g 230 cluster shape conical conical cluster length mm 180 medium avg. berries per 200 220 cluster avg. clusters per  2  2 shoot Berries Berry size Very low to low (g 1.8) Very low to low (g 1.5) Berry length (cm)  1.76  1.50 Berry width (cm)  1.56  1.50 Overall shape of broad ellipsoid globose berry Berry Texture soft soft Berry Color green green (immature) Berry Color (mature) green green Soluble solids (%)  22.6  21.1 Titratable acidity (as  4.6  5.7 g/L tartaric acid) Sugar/acid ratio  4.9  3.7 Firmness soft soft Seeds 2-3 2-3 Skin cracking? no rarely Juice color transparent transparent Berry taste Neutral neutral Eating quality n.a. n.a. Berry uses wine wine Shipping quality n.a. n.a. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct grapevine, referred to as ‘FLEURTAI’, as herein described and illustrated by the characteristics set forth above. 